The blog post mentioned the example of an employee of Embrace Pet Insurance that recently adopted a young Rottweiler and whether her insurance company, State Farm, had a breed specific policy. It turns out State Farm is “one of the few insurers that do not have a breed specific policy.”
I found a very informative article on The Humane Society of the United States website entitled, “Insurance Companies Unfairly Target Specific Dog Breeds.” Here are some highlights from the article:
Insurers are re-evaluating coverages for homeowners who share their living spaces with such breeds. To the industry, the numbers are as sobering as a dog howling at midnight: One-third of all liability claims against homeowners stem from dog bites, a statistic that the insurance industry claims has forced it to pay out $310 million annually.
But the consequences of breed bans stretch far beyond denied coverage and the dollars and cents of the insurance industry. The bans are also having a chilling effect on dog ownership in the United States, and are forcing shelters to deal with those who choose their insurance policy over their dog.
According to the III, there were 4.7 million dog bites reported to authorities in 1999, up from 4.5 million in 1996; most victims were children. The $310 million paid out in 2001 for dog-bite liability claims is also an increase from the $250 million paid out five years ago.
"The insurance companies are missing the boat," says Stephanie Shain, Director of Companion Animal Outreach for The HSUS. "Any dog can bite. The insurance industry needs to look at this issue on a case-by-case basis, and make judgments about a particular dog, not an entire breed. If the insurance industry is ready to properly evaluate dogs, which with 68 million dogs kept in the U.S. will also be a good thing for their business, we are ready and waiting to help."
According to the III, there were 4.7 million dog bites reported to authorities in 1999, up from 4.5 million in 1996; most victims were children. The $310 million paid out in 2001 for dog-bite liability claims is also an increase from the $250 million paid out five years ago.
"The insurance companies are missing the boat," says Stephanie Shain, Director of Companion Animal Outreach for The HSUS. "Any dog can bite. The insurance industry needs to look at this issue on a case-by-case basis, and make judgments about a particular dog, not an entire breed. If the insurance industry is ready to properly evaluate dogs, which with 68 million dogs kept in the U.S. will also be a good thing for their business, we are ready and waiting to help."
I was not aware of breed specific homeowners policies. Considering my wife has grown up with Akita dogs, a large but gentle breed, I’m glad I now know to check with insurers before purchasing a policy. If anyone has had experiences with breed specific insurers please let us know so we can start to build a list.
Banning an entire breed seems extreme to me but let me know what your thoughs are on the subject.
Related Blog Post: Pet Insurance ABC's
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